Contact array imager with integral waveguide and electronics

Abstract

A compact array imager including image generation apparatus providing a real image at an inlet of an optical image waveguide. The real image being reflected a plurality of times within the optical image waveguide by diffractive optical elements that magnify and filter the real image and produce a virtual image at a viewing aperture The imager further includes electronics mounted on the sides of the optical image waveguide and coupled to the image generation apparatus by embedded molded signal waveguides for receiving signals representative of an image and controlling the apparatus to generate the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A compact array imager having a viewing aperture, the imager comprising: image generation apparatus including a semiconductor device array formed on a single semiconductor chip and defining a plurality of rows and columns of pixels for providing a real image;   an optical image waveguide having an inlet positioned adjacent the apparatus for receiving a real image provided thereby and an outlet spaced from the inlet and defining the viewing aperture, the optical image waveguide defining an optical path therethrough from the inlet to the outlet and constructed to transmit an image from the inlet to the outlet with optical means positioned along the optical image waveguide at predetermined areas in the optical path for magnifying a real image supplied at the inlet and providing a magnified virtual image at the outlet which is easily perceived by an operator; and   electronics mounted on the optical image waveguide and coupled to the image generation apparatus for receiving input signals representative of a predetermined image and utilizing the input signals to control the image generation apparatus to produce the predetermined image.   
     
     
       2. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronics is coupled to the image generation apparatus by a molded signal waveguide. 
     
     
       3. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electronics includes driver and control circuitry for the image generation apparatus. 
     
     
       4. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 2 wherein the optical means includes a diffractive optical element formed of a soft photopolymer film positioned at a surface of the optical image waveguide. 
     
     
       5. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical image waveguide is formed of optical quality quartz glass. 
     
     
       6. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the optical means includes a diffractive optical element. 
     
     
       7. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 6 wherein the diffractive optical element includes a diffractive lens. 
     
     
       8. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 6 wherein the diffractive optical element includes a diffractive filter. 
     
     
       9. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus providing the real image is formed in a semiconductor chip. 
     
     
       10. An array imager as claimed in claim 9 wherein the apparatus providing the real image includes a light emitting diode array. 
     
     
       11. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronics includes a communications receiver. 
     
     
       12. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 11 wherein the communications receiver is included as a portion of a pager. 
     
     
       13. A compact array imager having a viewing aperture, the imager comprising: image generation apparatus including a semiconductor device array formed on a single semiconductor chip and defining a plurality of rows and columns of pixels for providing a real image;   an optical image waveguide having a real image inlet positioned adjacent the image generation apparatus for receiving a real image provided by the image generation apparatus and a virtual image outlet spaced from the real image inlet and defining the viewing aperture, the optical image waveguide including a plurality of sides with the inlet positioned to direct incoming light waves angularly toward a first of the plurality of sides, resulting in a plurality of reflections between the plurality of sides, and defining an optical path through the optical image waveguide from the real image inlet to the virtual image outlet, the reflections defining predetermined areas along the image waveguide with optical means positioned along the optical image waveguide at at least some of the predetermined areas in the optical path for magnifying a real image supplied at the real image inlet and providing a magnified virtual image at the virtual image outlet which is easily perceived by an operator; and   electronics mounted on the optical image waveguide and coupled to the image generation apparatus for receiving input signals representative of a predetermined image and utilizing the input signals to control the image generation apparatus to produce the predetermined image, the electronics being constructed to sequentially energize each of the plurality of rows of pixels, one row at a time, until all of the pixels in each of the plurality of columns is energized and a complete real image is generated.   
     
     
       14. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 13 wherein the optical means includes a plurality of diffractive optical elements. 
     
     
       15. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plurality of diffractive optical elements includes diffractive lenses. 
     
     
       16. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 13 including in addition a battery positioned in a depression in the optical image waveguide. 
     
     
       17. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 13 wherein the electronics is coupled to the image generation apparatus by a molded signal waveguide. 
     
     
       18. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 17 wherein the molded signal waveguide coupling the electronics to the image generation apparatus is molded as an integral portion of the optical image waveguide. 
     
     
       19. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 1 wherein the semiconductor chip is constructed with a size less than a few millimeters on a side with each semiconductor device in the semiconductor device array being constructed with a size on the order of as little as one micron on a side. 
     
     
       20. A compact array imager as claimed in claim 13 wherein the semiconductor chip is constructed with a size less than a few millimeters on a side with each semiconductor device in the semiconductor device array being constructed with a size on the order of as little as one micron on a side.